


vampires, bats, and pumpkins, oh my

by mido



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Halloween Costumes, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 23:24:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21216767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mido/pseuds/mido
Summary: Ryoken's never celebrated Halloween before. Takeru wants to change that.





	vampires, bats, and pumpkins, oh my

**Author's Note:**

> halloween request for recoilship from an anon on cc! enjoy!

Ryoken slides his hands into the pockets of his pea coat as he watches Takeru, fiercely debating with himself what size pumpkin to buy, pick up and put down various pumpkins to look at them at eye level. “Isn’t that one fine?” He points to the one the other is holding at the moment, a slightly lopsided gourd of a pumpkin. Takeru shoots him a look like he’s committed a crime (which, he has, but that’s not the  _ point _ ), and Ryoken can practically see the gears in his head turning as he opens his mouth and closes it and opens it again as Takeru tries to think of something not-mean to say. “It’s not symmetrical.” Is what he decides on, and Ryoken muffles a laugh into his fist as he pretends to cough, amused by the disgusted expression the other’s making. “We don’t have all day to find the perfect pumpkin, though, dear.” He mentions as Takeru picks up another one. His ears turn red at the pet name, but Takeru refuses to let his face color, unceremoniously grabbing the nearest pumpkin and shoving it into Ryoken’s arms. “This one, then.” He says hurriedly, and only then does he notice he picked one barely the size of a soccer ball. Just like that, his hopes for the largest pumpkin in Japan to sit on his porch are shattered. Ryoken bites his lip to keep from smiling as Takeru deflates, somehow in the cutest way possible. He supposes it’s normal to find his significant other cute, though.

He pays for the pumpkin and the two walk back to Ryoken’s car, a black sedan too rich for Takeru’s blood, but the former had insisted that Takeru needed to experience a luxury vehicle no matter what the errands were that they had to run. He’d begrudgingly agreed, but he wasn’t exactly fond of the way people ogled it and Ryoken both in the parking lot, the latter bothering him moreso than the car. Still, here they are, and those people have dispersed to buy their own pumpkins. Ryoken loads it into the trunk, and they head home, having completed the honey-do list for the day.

Well. Somewhat.

There’s only four days until Halloween, and while Takeru has his costume bases covered (he has last year’s bag of bandages if he wants to try being a mummy again instead of something else, but this year it seems like too much of a hassle), he hasn’t seen a lick of anything vaguely resembling a costume enter Ryoken’s closet (or, his half of the closet). Takeru’s got some ideas for what would suit the other, but he hasn’t made the commitment yet, just in case. At a time like now, though, he’s pretty sure he can safely pick out a costume without stepping on any toes or previous ones. 

“Hey, can we stop at the mall?” Takeru pipes up over the quiet music emanating from the radio, the music being from a CD Ryoken had bought online of some western band. Ryoken doesn’t look away from the road, the pinnacle of public safety, but he raises an eyebrow nonetheless. “What for?”

Here, Takeru hesitates. Ryoken will reject him outright if he says “to buy a costume for you”, but what else will get him into a Halloween store without suspicion? “I need some decorations.” He blurts out, knowing full well that Ryoken owns nothing even somewhat Halloween-esque, so he’s not technically lying. The other nods and says, “Sure, then.” He takes one hand off the steering wheel to reach for Takeru’s, who complies and squeezes his hand before letting him return to driving. A fluffy, fuzzy feeling paws at Takeru’s chest, and he smiles goofily at his lap.

When they arrive at the mall Takeru pulls Ryoken after him to the seasonal Halloween store that takes over the otherwise vacant spot two months out of the year. He haphazardly throws some fake spiderwebs and a stuffed rat with glowing red eyes into a basket he grabbed from the front of the store while Ryoken watches, standing awkwardly to Takeru’s side as if he’s unsure of what to pick out to add to their collection.  _ Oh, that’s right, _ Takeru thinks to himself,  _ he’s probably never celebrated Halloween before. _ He curses Kiyoshi Kogami inwardly.

He does catch Ryoken ogling a pack of plastic bats, though, all threaded onto a thick string like a streamer. Before the other can say a word about it Takeru plucks it off the shelf, tossing it into their basket. Ryoken whips his head to the side to look at Takeru with a gobsmacked expression, as if he can’t believe he’s allowed to pick out what he likes, but Takeru just smiles cheekily at him as he waltzes into the costume section. Ryoken follows with his tail between his legs.

“Do you have a costume, by the way?” Takeru asks as nonchalantly as he possibly can, somewhat desperate for him to say  _ no _ so that he can pick one out for the other. Ryoken blinks at him, cocking his head as if he didn’t realize the costume tradition applied to him as well. “No.” He answers, quizzical. Takeru raises an eyebrow at him, and it’s Ryoken’s turn to flush the slightest shade of pink. “You know I’ve never celebrated Halloween before.” He says defensively, feeling a bit ashamed. The feeling disappears a moment later when Takeru laces his fingers together with Ryoken’s and brushes his thumb along the back of his hand reassuringly, and when Ryoken looks up Takeru is grinning at him. He pulls the somewhat-beet-colored boy along with him then, towards the costumes hung along the walls. 

It takes around thirty minutes for them to come across the vampire costume, surprisingly. Ryoken pulls a face at the cravat, but Takeru can tell he’s vibing with the long, shiny cloak, so he humors the other and goes to try it on, sans the plastic fangs. That would be gross. Takeru waits, practically vibrating on the bench outside the changing rooms with excitement as Ryoken shuffles out of his street clothes and into the frilly shirt and black slacks. When he finally pulls back the curtain separating him from his boyfriend, feeling somewhat dumb all dressed up like this, it’s all Takeru can do not to keel over right then and there. In an attempt to make himself seem a bit more refined to fit the costume, he’s tucked his hair behind his ear on one side, and Takeru can  _ feel _ his heartbeat racing as Ryoken fidgets with the lace at the ends of his sleeves.    
“What do you think?” He asks, clearly sheepish.

Takeru continues to stare for a beat longer, just long enough to make Ryoken feel self conscious, before he pipes up. “It’s perfect.” He murmurs, striding over to grab Ryoken’s hands in his own. “It’s perfect!” He exclaims, stars in his eyes like he’s meeting a famous celebrity. Ryoken jumps slightly, not having expected such a response, and his cheeks flush. “Then I’ll buy it, so let me change.” He mumbles, a little flustered by Takeru’s enthusiasm but not willing to admit it. Takeru smiles widely, letting go of Ryoken’s hands, but as soon as he does he throws his arms around the other’s neck and pulls him in for a quick kiss, accidentally clacking their teeth together at first but pulling back and kissing him properly after a second. Ryoken is the first to pull away, his face a deep shade of red now. “What are you doing, we’re in  _ public _ !” He whispers hurriedly, looking around to make sure no one saw them. Takeru grins like a puppy wagging its tail while being scolded, and plants a smooch on Ryoken’s warm cheek. “Go change, dummy!” He laughs and ushers the older boy back into his dressing room. Ryoken huffs in a show of annoyance (though he’s not at all annoyed, not even in the slightest) and pulls the curtain forward unceremoniously so that he can change in peace.

They pay for the decorations and the costume at the front of the store, with Ryoken still a bit embarrassed as he watches Takeru practically jump for joy as the cashier scans the barcode on the price tag for the accurately titled “bloodsucking vampire” costume. He makes Takeru hold the bag as they walk out, even though the costume is safely tucked away at the bottom inside.

It’s later that evening, after Ryoken’s already prepared a dinner rivaling the best housewife in Japan’s (it was an eat-in day), that Takeru brings it up again. “You know,” he says casually, looking at something on his phone as Ryoken takes a sip from his mug, “you make a really sexy vampire.” 

The other nearly spits green tea all over the carpet. Takeru doesn’t hold himself back, and laughs out loud. “What?!” He gasps, dissolving into giggles. “You do!” 

Needless to say, Takeru opts for a scarf in the morning.


End file.
